Dear Sir: I don’t know where, and how really, to begin this
without coming out as yet another cultural dissident. For
once, perhaps because of my recognition of your heightened
illusion of patriotism, the temptation to ask an elder to shut up, is no
longer resistible. I want, dear Sir, for the sake of everything sane,
and also for the sake of your old age, to beg you to desist from
ridiculing the intelligence the pawns of this political chessboard we
call a nation. This country may be a haven of chastised criminals,
with too many boisterous opportunists, emergency heroes,
uncomplicated underclass and sycophantic middle-class, but we're not
entirely stupid.

I follow your self-initiated deification these days, and how an amnesic
nation embraces yours as expressions of genuine intention, but
memories of your days in power persist: we have not forgotten the
electoral malpractices that returned you to power in 2003, and,
having failed in your Third Term bid, you prevailed in bringing the
late Umaru Musa Yar’adua to power in 2007; we have not forgotten
the failed promises that characterised your administration, including
giving up a false hope of redeeming our power problem, especially
with that unnecessary gimmick of $16 Billion electricity scheme; we
have not forgotten, also, the Halliburton scandals which really
indicts, the PTDF and Transcorp scams, and all the dubious
economic reforms and privatisations designed to loot the nation. Can
you, my dear sir, explain now how Abacha’s recovered loots were
expended for the development of this nation? And how much,
exactly, was recovered? There was neither transparency nor
evidence that Abacha’s billions were judiciously used. Also, what did
you do in reforming the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and
related agencies, in which the biggest of the nation’s Oil scams
continue to be carried out? Too many questions, and these are just
from a single citizen. Others may have more to ask!
You may devise several ways to atone for your misdeeds and
decisions while in office, but coming out as an achiever and seeking
to present yourself as “Father of Modern Nigeria” or, more
accurately, “The Father of Modern Nigerian Democracy”, which
you had opportunities to become, remains what it is: a delusion of
grandeur. Because, in case you want to pretend that don’t know, let
me spell it out that you’re the architect of the ongoing political chaos
in Nigeria; your selfish decisions paved the way for the emergence
of this man, this political son of yours, this President being derided
as “holder of Port Harcourt Diploma”. Through President
Yar'adua, whom you "anointed" in a hall of courageous Nigerian
politicians and technocrats, you set the country on a Backward
mode. Note that no Nigerian has ever had the opportunities you've
had to change the destiny of this nation!
We know that the Nigerian is an amnesiac person who loves
political dramas for the fun of it, and it’s patherically so now that we
are desperately in need of change, angrily against the symbols of
everything that represents your legacies. We have formed a
dangerous system in which we leave the struggles for the redemption
of the country to the people in government, hence our heroes are
just the people who rebel against an incumbent government they’re
no longer in good terms with, a trend you understand quite well, and
now trying to exploit. While it’s advisable to not dismiss the
revelations of rebels who expose the wrongs of a government they
once served, we refuse to forget their complicity in the creation and
fostering of our difficulties. We know that we’ll soon be consumed by
our “listen to the message, not the messenger” principle, with which
expired devils are made saints for vilifying their successors or on
falling out with their accomplices. The messenger matters, Sir. It’s
morally insulting to join an oppressed people in speaking out against
a trend you didn’t try to stop while you were still relevant!
I look forward to a Nigeria where a reigning devil will be sure that
he’ll never, even if s/he attempts to polarise the people, be welcome
anytime s/he’s no longer relevant in the establishment. We all know
that Nigeria is being looted, every day, every minute, but we’re
wingless canaries, singing a familiar tune, transfixed. But we don’t
need an Obasanjo who contributed to intensifying our misery to tell
us so.
Sir, the Good Books, of which you're a devious reader, preach
about forgiveness, and I think we've shown you that grace and
accepted you into our fold again. But, Sir, do not insult our
intelligence with your newfound patriotism, crying louder than those
you have failed to redeem when you had the opportunity to do so.
Just, do not assault our sensibilities or try our sensitivities. Kindly
concentrate on your PhD studies, dear Sir, for which we wish you
"Goodluck", while preparing your future self-glorifying memoirs, and
leave us alone.
My God save us from u!
Gimba Kakanda

saharareporters.com/2015/01/23/appeal-former-president-olusegun-obasanjo-gimba-kakanda